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hmmm...about those Superliner passenger cars.........

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 9:52 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by goduckies

they have 4 cars in the Coast Starlight Parlor Car service. They have been done up real nice, and there was a plan to add those cars to other trains as well, but I think that it fell through.
Brad


Those are former ATSF Kachina Coffee Shop lounge cars off the El Cap.
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 5:10 PM
they have 4 cars in the Coast Starlight Parlor Car service. They have been done up real nice, and there was a plan to add those cars to other trains as well, but I think that it fell through.
Brad
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, December 2, 2004 4:16 PM
I very, very recently saw some of those Santa Fe transition cars for sale on the Web. Will have to look around to see if I can find the address; seems that it was either the same or closely affiliated with the site that had the ex-Nashville E units for sale.
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Posted by M636C on Thursday, December 2, 2004 4:12 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

Whilst waiting for somebody [|)][|)][|)] from the platform on the platform at La Junta, had a look at #4's consist and it jibes with M636's comments. The only lower connection is the transition car/ crew dorm that connects to the baggage cars. It's been a long time since I've seen the old Santa Fe El Capitan high level cars that inspired the Superliners, but I think they are the same. I read somewhere that Amthrax retired the El Cap cars, but never heard their fate. (Sold, sitting at Beech Grove or scrapped?)....

For the unitiated, the El Cap cars look similar to the Superliners, are just slightly shorter in height and have corrugated metal sides instead of smooth metal sides.

mc


I thought that what I said was what you just said!

In one particular photo, there appears to be a tall diaphragm (but it is a trick of the light).

Peter
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Posted by Kozzie on Thursday, December 2, 2004 3:47 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

spf

Well I got them, of course, since I would have liked to get some shots out the back window.

I understand that they run until the contract expires.

Jay


Jay - Sounds like Murphy's Law of Trainspotting kicked in...

Your efforts are appreciated all the same. [:)]

Dave
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Posted by jeaton on Thursday, December 2, 2004 3:36 PM
spf

Well I got them, of course, since I would have liked to get some shots out the back window.

I understand that they run until the contract expires.

Jay

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by espeefoamer on Thursday, December 2, 2004 3:16 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

MC- I'm still sorry about that. I promise the next time for sure.

Dave- I couldn't get an end shot of a superliner as the SW Chief is still dragging express boxes, but Peter has given you the straight scoop.

Jay[*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*]

The SW Chief doesn't have express boxes every day. Sometimes it has them sometimes not.I see this train every weekend in Fullerton.
Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool.
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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, December 2, 2004 12:20 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

MC- I'm still sorry about that.
Jay[*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*]


Oops- Didn't get the memo about not teasing on here anymore![:I][:I][:I]
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by jeaton on Thursday, December 2, 2004 12:09 PM
MC- I'm still sorry about that. I promise the next time for sure.

Dave- I couldn't get an end shot of a superliner as the SW Chief is still dragging express boxes, but Peter has given you the straight scoop.

Jay[*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*][*^_^*]

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, December 2, 2004 12:00 PM
Some of the ex-ATSF hi-levels have been assigned to the Heartland Flyer. Some of the step-down coaches were rebuilt to dormitory-coaches and are still in service.
The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, December 2, 2004 11:41 AM
Whilst waiting for somebody [|)][|)][|)] from the platform on the platform at La Junta, had a look at #4's consist and it jibes with M636's comments. The only lower connection is the transition car/ crew dorm that connects to the baggage cars. It's been a long time since I've seen the old Santa Fe El Capitan high level cars that inspired the Superliners, but I think they are the same. I read somewhere that Amthrax retired the El Cap cars, but never heard their fate. (Sold, sitting at Beech Grove or scrapped?)....

For the unitiated, the El Cap cars look similar to the Superliners, are just slightly shorter in height and have corrugated metal sides instead of smooth metal sides.

mc
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 11:42 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

Dave,

The November "Trains" has appeared on the Newsagent shelves and I bought my copy an hour ago!

Now, to the upper photo on page 13, the Coast Starlight at San Luis Obispo. The light is high and from the rear of the train (always is there when I've tried to photograph the locomotives).

What you are seeing is the diaphragm in its usual high location, and the stainless steel collision posts extending below it. The shape of the shadow in this particular shot gives the impression that they are the same depth, which is not the case. The diaphagn rubbing plate is black and not as wide as the silver grey collision posts below them. The socket for the jumper cable I mentioned in an earlier post is just visible above a cross brace between the two collision posts.

As an aside, the lower photo of the"Texas Eagle" shows a transition sleeper coupled to an Amfleet car - no high level diaphragm is visible, as it would be, in this photo.

The VIA Renaissance article in the November issue looks good - strange nobody's commented on that!

Peter


Peter - thanks for your response - I hope others have found this thread informative and interesting.

Dave
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Posted by UPTRAIN on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 10:21 PM
Yeah, the lower diaphrams are crew sleepers and connect with the baggage cars on the head end...most of the time here on the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans. Sometimes they throw an Amfleet onto the rear without the low diaphram. They are of course only entered through the doors on the side of the car when not coupled to low level cars of their own kind.

Pump

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Posted by M636C on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 9:04 PM
Dave,

The November "Trains" has appeared on the Newsagent shelves and I bought my copy an hour ago!

Now, to the upper photo on page 13, the Coast Starlight at San Luis Obispo. The light is high and from the rear of the train (always is there when I've tried to photograph the locomotives).

What you are seeing is the diaphragm in its usual high location, and the stainless steel collision posts extending below it. The shape of the shadow in this particular shot gives the impression that they are the same depth, which is not the case. The diaphagn rubbing plate is black and not as wide as the silver grey collision posts below them. The socket for the jumper cable I mentioned in an earlier post is just visible above a cross brace between the two collision posts.

As an aside, the lower photo of the"Texas Eagle" shows a transition sleeper coupled to an Amfleet car - no high level diaphragm is visible, as it would be, in this photo.

The VIA Renaissance article in the November issue looks good - strange nobody's commented on that!

Peter
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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:54 PM
Peter - the regular freight Nov '04 editions of Trains Mag must be appearing on our newsstands soon. I'm keen to know what you think...

Dave
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Posted by M636C on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:47 PM
Dave,

See what happens when you are posting!

The MR end view photo shows a "Loco MU style" jumper cable in the space below the high level diaphragm (as well as the power (?) cables either side), and a small bolted access panel about the size of the window in the end door. There is a light cross beam half way up the space, just below the jumper sockets.

Peter
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Posted by M636C on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:39 PM
Dave,

I pulled out my copy of "Model Railroader" for November 1982, which has plans for all Superliner I cars (and might be worth buying if it is still available as a back issue).
Pages 86-97 cover the plans and photos. On page 93 there is a clear end-on photo that shows that the structural collision posts on the end of the body are effectively in line with the diaphragm and depending on the lighting and dirt buildup, these could look like an extension of the diaphragm down to the coupler level. (I still haven't seen the November issue, of course).

The MR plans show only 62 seats on the upper deck of Coach Baggage cars, too but this might be an error.

As a small aside on "short" coach models, on page 128 of that issue of MR a "HO 75' Budd Coach" was offered by Model Power, lettered for Amtrak, CP and CN (for $8-98). It is in fact, not a "short" model but a scale length model of an Australian "Indian Pacific" BRJ class sleeping car, painted for the roads in question. There is always a prototype for anything!

Peter
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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:38 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by drephpe

Dave--

I went back and looked at a lot of photos of S1 & S2 cars to refresh my memory, and I have found none with a full-height diaphragm. The high floor cars have a standard size high diaphragm and the xitions have one high and one low. There may be an access door on the end beneath the diaphragm--I'm still checking on this but I'm out of town. However, there is no crew crawl space between cars to my knowledge.


Thanks for your help drephpe [;)][:)] - it is hard to see in the photo that I was looking at....
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:32 PM
Dave--

I went back and looked at a lot of photos of S1 & S2 cars to refresh my memory, and I have found none with a full-height diaphragm. The high floor cars have a standard size high diaphragm and the xitions have one high and one low. There may be an access door on the end beneath the diaphragm--I'm still checking on this but I'm out of town. However, there is no crew crawl space between cars to my knowledge.
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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:20 PM
Hi to Peter too!
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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:07 PM
dreprphe! I missed your salutation post because I was posting too! heh heh

I guess it's Good Afternoon for you? (or maybe evening...)

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Posted by Kozzie on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:05 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by drephpe

The S1 seat pitch for the coach bags is considerably tighter than the full coaches, and would most approximate day coach and not overnight seat pitch.


An interesting point drephpe. Tight seat pitches are bad news for taller people! Yuk!
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:05 PM
Hi Dave!!
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 4:00 PM
The S1 seat pitch for the coach bags is considerably tighter than the full coaches, and would most approximate day coach and not overnight seat pitch.
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Posted by M636C on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 3:49 AM
Andrew,

Sorry, I'm not trying to run an "Ignore A Canadian" day. It took me a while to find a good reference.

These are figures for Superliner 1 series cars;

31000 -31047 78 seat Coach Baggage
32000 - 32069 Sleeper 14 Economy Room,1 Family Room, 6 Deluxe Room.
33000 - 33024 Lounge Cafe
34000 - 34101 77 seat Coach (7 cars with lower deck snack bar, 62 seats)
38000 - 38038 Dining Car

I'll have to check further for Superliner II cars.

No, I don't know why the Coach Baggage has more seats than the Coach, except that the seat spacing must be smaller.

Peter
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Posted by Junctionfan on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 9:04 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

What is the passenger capacity for the Superliner Coachs and the Coach/Baggage cars?


Does anybody know?
Andrew
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Posted by Kozzie on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 6:58 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

Nobody seems to have sprung the answer to the initial question about the diaphragm just yet - any clues out there?

Peter


Peter, thanks for reminding folk about my original Q. Jay (Jeaton) said he was going to take a trip on the South West Chief - Chicago to Albuquerque and return. He said that he would have bit of a look - hopefully he'll get back to us soon on what he saw.
(And how he enjoyed the trip on the SW Chief too....[;)] )

Dave
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Posted by M636C on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 5:47 PM
Nobody seems to have sprung the answer to the initial question about the diaphragm just yet - any clues out there?

Peter
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 22, 2004 7:22 PM
The B32-8WH's were used on the former Toronto-Chicago International and are still used in California, but they are painted for Amtrak California.
Their current numbers are:
502-519 (AMTK)
and
2051-2052 (Amtrak California)

The reason B32-8WH's were used into Canada is that VIA's crews were not yet trained to operate P42's as VIA didn't have any yet. Once VIA got P42's in 2001, Amtrak ran P42's on the route.

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